There are 17 traits available for characters in the game Starfield. Each trait has both a positive and negative effect, so players should carefully weigh the pros and cons before choosing them. Traits can be selected when creating a new character, and they can also be removed later in the game through a quest.
Here is a list of all the traits in Starfield, along with their pros and cons:
| Trait | Positive Effect | Negative Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Alien DNA | +10% damage resistance against hostile aliens | -10% damage resistance against hostile humans |
| Dream Home | Start the game with a free apartment in New Atlantis | -10% reputation with all factions |
| Empath | Performing actions your companion likes will result in a temporary increase in combat effectiveness | Performing actions they don’t like will have the precise opposite effect |
| Extrovert | +10% damage bonus when fighting alongside a companion | -5% damage resistance when fighting alone |
| Introvert | +5% damage resistance when fighting alone | -10% damage bonus when fighting alongside a companion |
| Freestar Collective Settler | Gain access to special Freestar Collective dialogue options, and better rewards from some missions given by the faction | Crime bounty towards other factions is greatly increased |
| Hero Worshipped | +10% reputation with all factions | -10% XP gain |
| Kid Stuff | Get free stuff from your parents! | -10% movement speed |
| Neon Street Rat | +10% lockpicking skill | -10% reputation with the United Colonies |
| Raised Enlightened | +10% science skill | -10% reputation with the Freestar Collective |
| Raised Universal | +5% science skill, +5% engineering skill | -5% reputation with the Freestar Collective and the United Colonies |
| Serpent’s Embrace | +10% hacking skill | -10% reputation with the Freestar Collective and the United Colonies |
| Spaced | +10% jetpack fuel | -10% movement speed on the ground |
| Taskmaster | +10% damage bonus to critical hits | -5% damage resistance |
| Terra Firma | +10% movement speed on the ground | -10% jetpack fuel |
| United Colonies Native | +10% reputation with the United Colonies | -10% reputation with the Freestar Collective |
| Wanted | Start the game with a bounty on your head | +10% damage resistance |
Which traits are the best?
That depends on your playstyle and what you want to focus on in the game. If you want to be a powerful fighter, you might want to choose traits like Extrovert or Taskmaster. If you want to be a skilled scientist or engineer, you might want to choose traits like Raised Enlightened or Raised Universal. And if you want to be a stealthy hacker or lockpicker, you might want to choose traits like Serpent’s Embrace or Neon Street Rat.
It’s also important to consider the negative effects of each trait before choosing it. For example, the Hero Worshipped trait gives you a reputation bonus with all factions, but it also reduces your XP gain. So if you’re focused on leveling up quickly, you might want to avoid this trait.
Ultimately, the best way to choose traits is to think about what kind of character you want to play and what kind of gameplay experience you’re looking for.
Here is a more detailed explanation of each trait in Starfield, along with its potential benefits and drawbacks for different playstyles:
Alien DNA
- Positive Effect: +10% damage resistance against hostile aliens
- Negative Effect: -10% damage resistance against hostile humans
This trait is a good choice for players who plan on fighting a lot of aliens. However, it’s important to keep in mind that it also makes you more vulnerable to human enemies. So if you’re planning on spending a lot of time in human-controlled settlements or factions, you might want to avoid this trait.
Dream Home
- Positive Effect: Start the game with a free apartment in New Atlantis
- Negative Effect: -10% reputation with all factions
This trait is a good choice for players who want to have a home base to return to throughout the game. However, it’s important to keep in mind that it also reduces your reputation with all factions. So if you’re planning on joining a faction or working with them closely, you might want to avoid this trait.
Empath
- Positive Effect: Performing actions your companion likes will result in a temporary increase in combat effectiveness
- Negative Effect: Performing actions they don’t like will have the precise opposite effect
This trait is a good choice for players who want to focus on building a strong relationship with their companion. However, it’s important to keep in mind that it also means that you’ll need to be careful about the choices you make in front of them. If you don’t want to risk upsetting them, you might want to avoid this trait.
Extrovert
- Positive Effect: +10% damage bonus when fighting alongside a companion
- Negative Effect: -5% damage resistance when fighting alone
This trait is a good choice for players who plan on fighting alongside their companion a lot. However, it’s important to keep in mind that it also makes you more vulnerable when fighting alone. So if you’re planning on doing a lot of solo exploration, you might want to avoid this trait.
Introvert
- Positive Effect: +5% damage resistance when fighting alone
- Negative Effect: -10% damage bonus when fighting alongside a companion
This trait is a good choice for players who plan on doing a lot of solo exploration or fighting alone. However, it’s important to keep in mind that it also makes you less effective when fighting alongside a companion. So if you’re planning on relying on your companion for help in combat, you might want to avoid this trait.
Freestar Collective Settler
- Positive Effect: Gain access to special Freestar Collective dialogue options, and better rewards from some missions given by the faction
- Negative Effect: Crime bounty towards other factions is greatly increased
This trait is a good choice for players who want to join the Freestar Collective faction or work closely with them. However, it’s important to keep in mind that it also makes you a target for other factions. So if you’re planning on traveling to settlements controlled by other factions, you might want to avoid this trait.
Hero Worshipped
- Positive Effect: +10% reputation with all factions
- Negative Effect: -10% XP gain
This trait is a good choice for players who want to be well-liked by all factions. However, it’s important to keep in mind that it also reduces your XP gain. So if you’re focused on leveling up quickly, you might want to avoid this trait.
Kid Stuff
- Positive Effect: Get free stuff from your parents!
- Negative Effect: -10% movement speed
This trait is a good choice for players who want to have a little extra help from their parents. However, it’s important to keep in mind that it also reduces your movement speed. So if you’re planning on doing a lot of exploration, you might want to avoid this trait.
Neon Street Rat
- Positive Effect: +10% lockpicking skill
- Negative Effect: -10% reputation with the United Colonies
This trait is a good choice for players who want to be skilled lockpickers. However, it’s important to keep in mind that it also reduces your reputation with the United Colonies faction. So if you’re planning on working closely with the United Colonies, you might want to avoid this trait.
Raised Enlightened
- Positive Effect: +10% science skill
- Negative Effect: -10% reputation with the Freestar Collective faction
This trait is a good choice for players who want to be skilled scientists. However, it’s important to keep in mind that it also reduces your reputation with the Freestar Collective faction.
Here is a more detailed explanation of the rest of the traits in Starfield, along with their potential benefits and drawbacks for different playstyles:
Raised Universal
- Positive Effect: +5% science skill, +5% engineering skill
- Negative Effect: -5% reputation with the Freestar Collective and the United Colonies factions
This trait is a good choice for players who want to be skilled scientists and engineers. However, it’s important to keep in mind that it also reduces your reputation with both the Freestar Collective and the United Colonies. So if you’re planning on working closely with either of these factions, you might want to avoid this trait.
Serpent’s Embrace
- Positive Effect: +10% hacking skill
- Negative Effect: -10% reputation with the Freestar Collective and the United Colonies factions
This trait is a good choice for players who want to be skilled hackers. However, it’s important to keep in mind that it also reduces your reputation with both the Freestar Collective and the United Colonies factions. So if you’re planning on working closely with either of these factions, you might want to avoid this trait.
Spaced
- Positive Effect: +10% jetpack fuel
- Negative Effect: -10% movement speed on the ground
This trait is a good choice for players who plan on using their jetpack a lot. However, it’s important to keep in mind that it also reduces your movement speed on the ground. So if you’re planning on doing a lot of exploration on foot, you might want to avoid this trait.
Taskmaster
- Positive Effect: +10% damage bonus to critical hits
- Negative Effect: -5% damage resistance
This trait is a good choice for players who want to focus on dealing critical damage. However, it’s important to keep in mind that it also makes you more vulnerable to enemy attacks. So if you’re not confident in your ability to dodge attacks, you might want to avoid this trait.
Terra Firma
- Positive Effect: +10% movement speed on the ground
- Negative Effect: -10% jetpack fuel
This trait is a good choice for players who plan on doing a lot of exploration on foot. However, it’s important to keep in mind that it also reduces your jetpack fuel. So if you plan on doing a lot of vertical exploration, you might want to avoid this trait.
United Colonies Native
- Positive Effect: +10% reputation with the United Colonies faction
- Negative Effect: -10% reputation with the Freestar Collective faction
This trait is a good choice for players who want to join the United Colonies faction or work closely with them. However, it’s important to keep in mind that it also reduces your reputation with the Freestar Collective faction. So if you’re planning on traveling to settlements controlled by the Freestar Collective, you might want to avoid this trait.
Wanted
- Positive Effect: +10% damage resistance
- Negative Effect: Start the game with a bounty on your head
This trait is a good choice for players who want to be more durable in combat. However, it’s important to keep in mind that it also starts you off with a bounty on your head. So if you’re not careful, you could be hunted down by bounty hunters or law enforcement.
Which traits are the best?
Again, that depends on your playstyle and what you want to focus on in the game. If you’re not sure what kind of character you want to play, you can always experiment with different traits until you find a combination that works for you. You can also remove traits later in the game through a quest, so don’t feel like you’re locked into your choices.
Here are some general tips for choosing traits:
- Consider your playstyle. What kind of character do you want to play? A stealthy hacker? A powerful warrior? A skilled scientist? Once you know what kind of character you want to play, you can choose traits that complement your playstyle.
- Think about your goals. What do you want to achieve in the game? Do you want to join a particular faction? Do you want to become a master hacker? Do you want to explore every corner of the galaxy? Once you know what your goals are, you can choose traits that will help you achieve them.
- Weigh the pros and cons of each trait. Every trait has both positive and negative effects. Make sure to carefully consider the pros and cons of each trait before choosing it.
I hope this helps!
